Transit & logisticsBy Clever Tourists · Published
From Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), the ATVO express bus is the fastest and simplest: €12 (≈ $13.4) single, about 20 minutes to Piazzale Roma, where the road ends and Venice begins. The Alilaguna water bus costs €18 (≈ $20) and drops you at stops such as Fondamente Nove, Rialto or San Marco, but takes much longer. Water taxis are the premium option, priced per boat. We spent 3 days in Venice in July 2023. Prices and boarding details come from a transport portal updated in October 2026 and the Alilaguna line pages; the official ticketing page did not load fully, so confirm prices at the operator.
VCE is on the mainland, about 8 km from Venice. The road ends at Piazzale Roma, so there is no way to drive into the historic centre. From there you walk, take a vaporetto (water bus), or hire a water taxi. Choose your option based on where your hotel is, not just the price.
If your hotel is near the Santa Lucia station, Piazzale Roma or the Rialto, a bus plus walking is quicker than a boat. If your hotel is on the Grand Canal, San Marco or in Cannaregio's east, a boat can drop you closer.
The ATVO bus is €12 (≈ $13.4) single (€20 (≈ $22) return) according to a transport portal updated in October 2026, with luggage included. It takes about 20 minutes to Piazzale Roma. Board at Exit D, stop 3 for Venice. Departures run late: the cited timetable (valid from 1 February 2026) shows buses until about 01:10 from the airport and 00:40 from Piazzale Roma.
From Piazzale Roma you can walk to the Santa Lucia station in about 10 minutes, or take a vaporetto along the Grand Canal. A 75-minute vaporetto ticket costs €9.50 (≈ $10.6).
The city bus operator ACTV also runs an airport line, bus 5, to Piazzale Roma. It is listed at about €10 (≈ $11.2) on the official ticketing page, so it saves a couple of euros on the ATVO but stops more and is usually slower. Most visitors take the ATVO.
After Piazzale Roma, a 75-minute vaporetto ticket costs €9.50 (≈ $10.6), and passes covering 24 hours or more are cheaper if you will make several rides. Our how many days in Venice page explains how to plan the days.
Alilaguna boats run direct from the airport dock (a walk from arrivals along a covered pier) into the lagoon. A single to Venice is €18 (≈ $20) (€32 (≈ $36) return), and a Murano-only trip is cheaper. The Blue line serves Murano, Fondamente Nove, Lido, San Zaccaria, San Marco (Giardinetti), Zattere, Tronchetto and the railway station. The Orange line serves Guglie, San Stae, Rialto, Sant'Angelo, Ca' Rezzonico and Santa Maria del Giglio. A Red line runs seasonally from April to November.
The boat is slow: typically an hour or more to San Marco depending on line and stops. Ticket offices are in the arrivals hall (07:30 to 23:00), at the moving walkway entrance (08:00 to 21:00) and at the Darsena dock (06:00 to 00:20). The boat is a good choice in good weather with a hotel near a stop, and it has more luggage space than a vaporetto.
A water taxi (motoscafo) is priced per boat, not per person. The fare is agreed before boarding and is far above the ATVO or Alilaguna; for a group of three or four with luggage, the cost per person narrows and the boat takes you to the hotel's water door. Ask the price before you board, and have it confirmed in writing at booking.
A pre-booked land transfer has a fixed price quoted at booking. A land taxi to Mestre should be confirmed with the driver. If you are staying in Mestre, which is on the mainland and cheaper, the ATVO or a local bus is simpler than any boat.
Venice has no cars and almost no wheeled-bag-friendly surfaces: expect steps over every bridge. Pack light, or choose a hotel near the vaporetto stop, and check how far it is from the stop with Google Maps before booking. Allow extra time after landing, since a boat or vaporetto timetable can be less frequent than a bus.
Luggage on vaporetti is allowed within reason during quieter hours but crowded boats make large bags hard. Use the licensed water taxi stand and avoid unlicensed offers at the dock.
Day-trippers and some visitors may owe Venice's access fee on peak days; read the Venice tourist entry tax and QR code guide before you go. If you are staying overnight in a hotel, the fee generally does not apply, but check the rules.
Straightforward and cheap: ATVO to Piazzale Roma. Hotel on the Grand Canal or near San Marco and you want a scenic arrival: Alilaguna. Group with bags: water taxi. Late night: the ATVO until about 01:10, then taxi. Add the best time to visit Venice, where to stay in Venice and the Italy eSIM guide.
€12 (≈ $13.4) single and €20 (≈ $22) return, luggage included, to Piazzale Roma in about 20 minutes. Board at Exit D, stop 3.
€18 (≈ $20) single (€32 (≈ $36) return) to Venice. The Blue line serves San Marco and Fondamente Nove; the Orange line serves Rialto.
No. The airport has no rail station. Use the ATVO bus or bus 5 to Piazzale Roma, or a water bus or taxi.
Priced per boat rather than per person and well above the bus and Alilaguna options. Agree the price before boarding.
Per a timetable valid from 1 February 2026, buses leave the airport until about 01:10 and Piazzale Roma until about 00:40.
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